


Steady

by whenyoudesertme (phrenk)



Category: Japanese Actor RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-11
Updated: 2012-04-11
Packaged: 2017-11-03 11:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/380661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phrenk/pseuds/whenyoudesertme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three confessions in one day for Kitagawa Keiko.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Steady

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elfiepike](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elfiepike/gifts).



> Thanks to kinoface for beta-reading! <3 For [mini-exchange](http://l-elfie.dreamwidth.org/1146736.html), and specifically and with all my love for elfiepike! ALL MY LOVE, ELFIEPIKE. <3<3 Cross-posted [here](http://whenyoudesertme.livejournal.com/27417.html).

* _Morning_ *

"I have another message for you, Kei-chan."

Keiko sighed, stealing a look at Shihori's gleeful face. She suppressed the urge to curl her elbow and pull her best friend in a little closer, and continued walking casually down the hall arm in arm instead.

"Why do they always talk to you?"

"I am less intimidating." Shihori looked up at her, then smiled sweetly. "I am a lovely person."

Keiko snorted. "If you were in my place, you wouldn't be nearly as nice."

"And if you weren't so nice, people wouldn't keep confessing. It's because you're so cool that we swoon all over you, you know."

Keiko looked sharply at Shihori, but her friend's face was turned away as she waved to Riisa.

She cleared her throat. "Where am I to meet them this time?"

"Ah, we're almost there, she's supposed to be in front of the art classroom. I'll be waiting in the bathroom, okay?"

Shihori skipped away, skirt fluttering merrily, and Keiko forced her mind away from the soft roundness of Shihori and back to the matter at hand.

She steadily approached the back of the person waiting for her, then tapped the petite girl on the shoulder, trying to appear approachable but distant all at once. The girl whirled, then flushed deeply, chin dropping nearly to her chest.

Keiko's heart sank. "Becky-chan."

She knew the other girl only slightly but had seen her laughing and carrying on loudly in the hallways. For Becky to be this shy made Keiko feel even worse about rejecting the obviously sincere feelings.

Becky whispered, "Kei-kun."

Keiko tried not to roll her eyes at the nickname, not wanting to hurt Becky's feelings. "Shihori said you had something you wanted to say?" she prompted.

Becky trembled, then bowed deeply, thrusting her hands in front of her with a letter. Keiko took it gently, resisting the urge to pat the girl on the head.

She opened the letter, finding the words to be more like the Becky she knew, all directness and cheer, with a few rambling musings thrown in, as if she'd gotten herself hopped up on caffeinated _something_ before forcing herself to write the letter as quickly as she could. She smiled, then hurriedly smoothed her face as Becky straightened hopefully.

Keiko smoothed her hands down her skirt, then said, "I can accept this letter, but I'm sorry, I can't accept your feelings."

After a beat, Becky grinned slightly, still blushing to the roots of her hair. "So cool!"

Then her eyes widened enormously as she realized what she'd said right in front of Keiko. She blinked once, twice, face agog, then turned and scurried away. Keiko watched, then sighed and slipped the letter into her bag, making her way back to Shihori.

* _Afternoon_ *

Shihori emerged from the classroom, making some sly remark to Meisa that had the tall girl snorting out an uncharacteristically inelegant laugh. Keiko waited, leaning smoothly against the locker bay and pretending not to notice the small gaggle of girls tittering and blushing to her left.

When Shihori came across, after shouting a parting phrase to Meisa that definitely wasn't fit for the ears of teachers, she crooned under her breath, "Kei-kun," all high-pitched and irritating.

Keiko looped her arm through Shihori's, pulling her along in their familiar pattern, and grumbled, "It's your fault they call me that in the first place."

"They?" Shihori queried, snickering at Keiko's glare. "Oh, you mean your horde of admirers, poor Kei-chan. Speaking of, I got a very interesting message that I was asked to pass along."

"What, another one already? Usually--" Keiko cut off, smiling at a first year passing by, who stumbled.

"Usually the wailing of the last one deters the next one for at least a week, yes, but Becky-chan is so sunny, if she's wailing on the inside, no one can tell."

Keiko blew out her breath as they passed through the outer doors and into sunlight. "Good. I don't want--"

"I know, Kei-chan. Now, this one is very interesting. I expect to hear all about it--whoops, here we are!" She shoved Keiko toward a lone figure on the sidewalk by the sports fields and kept walking, waving a hand toward the trees where she'd be waiting.

Shihori was supposed to come over today, Keiko remembered. She squared her shoulders, willing herself forward to let some girl down gently so she could squirrel her best friend home with her for hours of easy companionship while they ostensibly did homework.

"Excuse me," she called, coming down the slope to meet the person waiting. She was surprised by the height of the girl, then registered the crisp pants, and the bag in a hand flung casually over a shoulder. She recognized this slim figure.

The person who'd sent the message turned, smirking, and Keiko felt herself grin back.

"Amber? You're not really--" Keiko quit speaking as the exchange student's smile dimmed, her own grin fading away as she realized the other girl was in earnest, and should at least be heard. She recovered herself, saying smoothly, "I'm sorry if I'm late."

"Kei-kun," Amber said, eyebrows quirked.

Keiko laughed, parroting back, "Amber-oppa." The Taiwanese-American girl got nearly as many chocolates on Valentine's Day as Keiko did, despite the language barrier Amber was still struggling to overcome.

"I didn't write a letter, Keiko-chan," Amber said haltingly. Her startlingly yellow hair dipped as she bowed shallowly, looking more like she was thanking Keiko for her confession than the other way around.

She straightened, expression determined. "My parents are moving us back to Korea. Before... I wanted to say..."

Keiko, who'd been moving forward to rest a hand on Amber's arm, froze. She waited, trying not to hurry her along, and then Amber's eyes met hers.

"I like you."

A moment, the sun gilding Amber's hair, then Keiko said, "I'm glad we got to talk before you left, but I'm sorry, I can't reciprocate your feelings."

"I know." Suddenly Amber moved forward, pulling Keiko into a hug.

Keiko stood there, arms outstretched to either side, wondering if this was what would happen every time if she lived in the US instead of Japan. She tentatively patted Amber's back, then rearranged her face into composure as the other girl withdrew.

Amber waved a hand between them. "Sorry."

"I don't mind," Keiko said, smiling again. "Good luck with your move."

Amber saluted with a dorky grin, then moved away, long-legged strides taking her back to the building.

Keiko turned her eyes to the trees, wondering if Shihori had seen that latest confession and the surprising way it had ended.

* _Heading Home_ *

They walked in silence for a while, heading for the train station. Keiko felt cold without Shihori's arm in hers, but the atmosphere made her somehow hesitant to reach out.

Finally Shihori said, "Should I congratulate you?"

"Hmm?" Keiko looked over to see Shihori violently kicking a rock.

"You and Amber? You looked good together," Shihori said bitterly. "She makes you look small and girly and _protected._ "

"Protected?" Keiko wondered, then focused. "No congratulations needed, Shii-chan, she was just hugging me goodbye."

Shihori paused, then kicked the next rock anyway. "Oh."

After a minute, when they were nearly to the station, Shihori said, "I think I can't come over today."

Keiko caught her sleeve, keeping her from leaving just like that. "What? Shii-chan, why not?"

Shihori looked at her, face impassive, then shrugged apologetically and turned to go.

The afternoon sun was suddenly dizzying in its brightness. Keiko didn't move, just watched, confused, as Shihori walked away. It felt like something was ending, like if she didn't act now, she might still have a best friend tomorrow but it wouldn't be quite the same.

She thought about shy Becky, dashing Amber, all the other girls who'd confessed so bravely, none of them having any real expectation of acceptance.

Her heart leaped into her throat, and before she could change her mind, she ran forward a few steps and yelled, "Shii-chan, I like you!"

The small figure stopped but didn't look back. As Keiko watched, one of Shihori's knee-high socks slipped down, slouching around her ankle, and the sudden tightness in Keiko's chest had her shouting again, heedless of the consequences, "I said I like you!"

Shihori turned back. Then she gesticulated wildly at the space still between them, yelling, "Well, come over here and do it properly!"

The street spun around as Keiko's heart jumped back to life in her chest. She jogged quickly over to Shihori, eyes searching her face for any sign of affection. A few paces away, she stopped, folding herself over to bow as low as she could, and said gruffly, "I like you, Shii-chan. Please accept my feelings."

Shihori sighed. "That's better. I mean, honestly, you've seen enough confessions that you know how they're supposed to go."

Keiko straightened, arching an eyebrow. "Picky, aren't you?"

A moment later Keiko's arms were full of Shihori, who'd launched herself forward without warning. Keiko held on instinctively, face coming down to rest in Shihori's soft hair.

When Shihori spoke, it was slightly muffled by Keiko's shoulder, but the words were clear. "I accept your feelings."

Keiko squeezed Shihori close, feeling their bodies align, and wondered where things went from there. She'd never accepted a confession before, let alone made one herself.

She decided to think about that a little later, concentrating on the feeling of Shihori in her arms instead. Then she realized the Shihori in her arms was _moving_ , shimmying up and down as if to press herself all along Keiko's torso.

Keiko pulled back with a hand restraining her friend's shoulder, brow furrowed. "Shii-chan, what on earth?"

Shihori tried to press close again, still wiggling ridiculously. "I'm erasing all of Amber's handsome appeal from your body, hold still."

Tossing her head back, Keiko laughed, arms coming back around Shihori to haul her in even though the bouncing didn't stop.

****

The next day, Keiko and Shihori walked down the hall hand in hand.

There was staring all around, but it was further incited by Riisa, who clapped her hands to her face and warbled, "Ooooh, _Kei-kun_ finally accepted a confession!"

Keiko's head swiveled around in shock, and she found Riisa's rainbow zebra print scarf in the crowd. The younger girl winked cheekily.

Shihori leaned up, lips close to Keiko's ear to even greater clamor from the watching students. "I bribed her to do that, so everyone would know you're mine."

"Shii-chan," Keiko murmured, smirking. "You're so cool."


End file.
